Local H Cancels Dates After Singer Was Attacked in Russia

Local H were forced to cancel the first three dates of their tour after singer Scott Lucas damaged his vocal cords when he was robbed and beaten in Russia. "After weighing all of our options, it looks like we're going to have to cancel the first 3 dates of the Local H tour – that's March 21, 22, and 23," wrote Lucas on Local H's Facebook page. "We don't take this decision lightly and we're deeply sorry for it."

Lucas explains that he was mugged after a Local H show in Moscow a month ago. "The attacker came up from behind and put me in a chokehold until I passed out," he wrote. The assailant took Lucas' phone, wallet, money, passport and even his hat and glasses. That's not all that went missing. "It wasn’t until I found someone to ask for help that I realized something else was gone – my voice," Lucas wrote. "When I opened my mouth to ask that person to call me a taxi, nothing but a scratchy croak would come out. I touched my throat and could feel that more damage had been done than I initially thought. A purple bruise began to form. I was having trouble swallowing."

Upon returning to the U.S., Lucas gave his voice a rest, but his vocal cords weren't recovering and he needed medical care. With the help of MusiCares – the foundation started by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to help provide "critical assistance" to "music people" – Lucas was able to see a doctor. "We need a second opinion," he wrote. "But the doctor said if they had to go in and POP(!) the cord back into place, then we have a limited window for that until the damage becomes permanent."

There's no word whether the nixed shows will be rescheduled, but Local H intends to keep up the rest of the tour. "Please believe that we're doing everything we can to correct this situation and to make sure we don't miss any more dates than absolutely necessary," wrote Lucas. "Please stay tuned and we'll keep you up to date." Their next show is set for March 30th at the Montrose Room in Rosemont, Illinois.